Yarn-feeding mechanism for knitting-machines.



R. W. SCOTT.

YARN FEEDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES. APPLICATION man JUNE 1a. mmfv Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET l.

R. W. SCOTT.

YARN F.4EEDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPL|cAT|oN FILED JUNE 18, 1914.

l 92%.@52. Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. VV. SCOTT.

YARN FEEDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTNG MACHINES.

APPLICATION HLD1uNE1.19l4.

3%.@ Patnted Aug. 21,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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R. W. SCOTT.

- YARN FEEDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I8, I9I4.

LQ. Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE.

ROBERT W. SCOTT, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INCORPORATED, A CQRPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

YARN-FEEDING MECHANISIVI FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 221, 1917..

continuation in part of application Serial No. 746,070, filed February 3, 1913. This application led June 18, 1914. Serial No. 845,844.

To aU lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT yW. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yarn-Feeding Mechanism for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to devices coperating to feed yarns to the needles of knitting machines, and especially to devices for handling and feeding different yarns in a predetermined order, to a predetermined part or parts of the fabric, in a predetermined relation to each other, which shall be accurate and effective, and operate without damage to the fabric or the machine instruments.

My invention is illustrated in connection with a circular knitting machine intended to produce complete articles of hosiery:7 and especially articles of hosiery or stockings having a selvage or end-finish formed integrally, as at an end of the article, and having, if desired, heel and toe pockets, sectional reinforcements extending for the whole or a part way around the tubular product of the machine, and comprising connected parts formed of different kinds, colors or arrangements of yarn. Such a machine may correspond to the disclosure of my application Serial No. 746,070, filed February 3, 1913, (Let-ters Patent No. September 7 1915,) of which this application is a continuation in part.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my new devices;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the cam ring and needle cylinder of said machine; 'l

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation similar to Fig. 2 showing a yarn guide. employed for sectional splicing in one position.

Fig. 3a is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a yarn guide employed for splicing in an inoperative position; v

Fig. 4 is a view from the axis of the machine illustrating the yarn throat;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective illustrating cams forming a part of the splicing mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a partial development of the needle cam ring, illustrating the relative positions of the stitch cams and the arn feeding devices With respect to the position of the needles;

Fig. 7 is a'section on a plane perpendicular to that of Fig. 6 illustrating the yarn changing yarn guides, their thrust bars and cam drum Fig. is a plan taken above the latch guard ring and internal yarn guide, showing the yarn clamp and cutter, and other attachments of the latch ring;

Fig. 9 is a detail illustrating an adjustment for the splicing yarn guide;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10, 10 of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating A`a modified form of the splicing yarn guide;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation somewhat enlarged of the yarn clamp and cutter;

Fig. 13 is an underv plan view of the Webholder cam ring;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged section through the web-holder bed and web-holder cam ring showing the special web-holder cam and part of the connection for adjusting it;

Fig. 15 is a perspective of the special webholder cam;

Figs. 16 and 17 are detail elevations showing the two different kinds of web-holders;

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 12 showing a modification;

Fig. 19 is a diagram showing the normal relation of long and short butt needles;

Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating the movement of the needles in relation to the movement of the web-holders;

Fig. 21 is a diagram development showing one arrangement of some of the cams on the pattern cam drum;

Fig. 22 is a fragmentary rear elevation showing the pattern surface andy spaced thrust bars.

The machine in connection with which I have elected to show my new devices may be an automatic circular hosiery machine corresponding to that disclosed in my said application, comprising a bed-plate A, carrying a bed-plate D in which is formed an annular bearing surrounding a central opening in which a bevel gear 30 is held for rotation and against vertical movement.

Said bevel gear carries a longitudinally grooved needle cylinder 260, Fig. 2, having independently movable needles therein,

which maybe laterally bent or tensioned latch needles. The heads of the proJected knitting needles are surrounded by allatch guard ring shown generally at 550. Mounted upon said latch ring as shown generally at 425, I may provide a brush latch opener to coperate with the knitting needles'.

Two fixed diametrically opposlte posts or standards 400, 401 are erected uponthe bed-plate D. That standard 401 at the rear of the machine is substantially X-shaped to provide at its'bottom the opening 461 and at its top .two upstanding lugs bored to carry a horizontal stud 552 upon which and Within said lugs are pivoted the rearwardly extending arms 553 of the said latch guard ring 550. This ring s an open drum shaped casting having between said'arms 553 a wide parallel walled slot central on a plane radial to the needle cylinder to provide a space for the operation of kthe yarn levers F, 'which are journaled on a fixed stud 554 held in lugs bridged'br the cap piece 555, all of which may loe/,integral with said latch ring 550. At the/front ofthe machine is pro vided a lug/,556 having a positioning gib taking into a groove in the topof the post 400, upon /which it is held in its operative positio'n by a pin and spring latch.

The slot between the arms 553 is closed at the bottom by a channel shaped throat-plate 559 forming at the intersection of the inner face ofthe arms 553 with the inner surface ofthe latch ring the bottom of a rectangular throat 560, Figs. 4 and 6, from either corner of which the yarns" may pass directly to needles traveling in the grooves between the top center cam 8 and the bottom center cam 9, or down the faces of either stitch cam 6 or stitch cam 7. My machineA employs an unusually large number of yarn changing.

yarn guides of which for a mere example I have shown five, and it Will be understood that the gap in the latch y guard ring at they throat 560 'will be suciently large to accommodate the desired number ofl said yarn guides.

In my Patent No. 1,191,740, July 18, 1916, I have shown and claimed a device com'- prising an incomplete annulus such as that shown herein at 565 having pointed beveled ends 566 and means to hold said annulus for rotation upon a bearing on the inner face of the latch guard ring to cause one 0f its ends to close the upper part of the gap formed at the yarn feed point. I employ this structure in my present machine but actuate it by different means, presently to be described.

The machine has the remaining adjuncts of a circular hosiery knitting machine of which thel members immediately concerned will be treated more in detail below.

Motion is communicated to the shaft 32, the bevel gear 31, and gear 30 attached to rasante the knitting head in any suitable manner, such asI that disclosed in my said application Serial Number 746,070. l

vThe pattern mcha/m'sm.-The machine is provided with a main pattern or cam shaft 80 upon which is loosely mounted a sprocket Wheel 84, which may be constantly advanced step by step during the operation of themachine. Said sprocket Wheel carries in turn a mutable link pattern chain 85,4 certain links of which have lugs coperating with a pawl controller 83 to determine peri` through its bearing in the end frame B to provide a stud upon which a pattern drum 120 having an integral or attached gear 121 is mounted for rotation. The end of the pattern cam shaft 80 also extends beyond its bearing in the frame and is provided with a similar gear 122. Said gears 121 and 122 mesh with an idler gear 123 mounted on a stud 124, projecting from the end frame at an intermediate point. The motions of the shaft 80 are therefore transmitted without change in direction or extent to the pattern drum 120.

It should be noted that the position of the pattern drum 120 brings it to a point directly behind the cylindrical space defined by Verticals from the knitting head and under the bed-plate D, at a point relatively close to the knitting head.

I am thus enabled to provide a comparatively large drum having thereon the desired large number of pattern indications for a relatively complex cycle of operations without taking up lateral or vertical space which can ill be spared.

The drum 120 carries pattern cams or` other indications determining the timely operation of certain parts of the machine including the yarn feeding devices. The pattern chain 85 determines when any movement of the main pattern or cam shaft shall take place, said chain also determining by the dimension and extent of the indications carried thereby, the extent of the movement of said shaft 80 in an angular sense. Said shaft 80 is usually operated through one whole revolution during the making of one complete article or stocking and may also be provided with the devices'such as those disclosed in my said parent application, or those of the prior art, for initiating changes in' the speed of the machine, changes in the meente inotion from rotary to oscillatory at the knitting head, and other devices cordinated with the machine devices to perform particular operations at certain times during the pro ress of the article.

T e operation of certain special web holder devices, of the yarn changing and yarn-splicing devices, of the yarn take-up and tension devices and of the yarn cutter and clamp arepreferably controlled by the said pattern drum 120.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 10 and 22, l provide on the end frame B of the machine a rigid stud 450 extending parallel with the overhanging shaft 76 and in front of the vertical plane of said shaft. A comb or slay 451 is attached to the stud 450, for the reception of a series of rigid fiat thrust bars 460, which bars are beveled at their lower ends, and which rest by gravity against the face of the cam drum 120, are spaced apart' by the slots in the comb 451, and are prevented from moving forward with the drum by the stud 450.

latch guard ring 550. Being flat, the bars 460 are severally adapted to be moved into the space occupied by a yarn-guide to move it `without encountering any other of the yarn-guides. 'lhe bars 460 may be reduced in thickness at their upper ends to permit them to be brought more closely together. The said combs 451 and 462 together form ways for directing the sliding movement of said bars 460.

Said thrust bars 460El to 46011 coperate with cams 500g, 501, etc., fastened by screws 20 on the surface of the cam drum 120, at positions to coperate with the spaced lower ends of the bars 460.

The bar 460a coperates with the ring of cams 500s, 500b to control the devices for closing the gap in the latch ring and for operating the vsupplemental web-holder cam 312.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 8 a bell crank lever 493 is mounted on a horizontal stud 492 on the standard 401. Said bar 460a has screwed on its outer face for vertical adjustment a lug 476 under the horizontal Athe horizontal plane of the top of the gapcloser ring 565 and is connected with said ring by a wire link 478 passing through a hole in said lever, and downwardly bent at 479. to enter a hole in said ring. A tension spring 474 is connected to the link 478 on the other side' of the lever 493 at one end, 7

and at the other endto a hold down clamp 567 attached to the latch ring 559.

rlFhe bell crank lever 493 is thus permitted to swing on the stud 492 when the latch ring is lifted about its pivot 552 Without dis- ,mi

turbing the open position of gap-closer ring 565 caused by spring 474, but when the latch ring 1s in its operative position the elevating movement of the Abar 460a is translated into rotation of the ring 465 on the latch ring 5 50. The extent of this rotation may be adjusted by moving the lug 476.

rl`he bar 460a may be cut od above the I comb 462.

rThe next bar 460b is employed for actug5 lating the splicing yarn guide, which will be described below.

The next four bars 4.606, iced, 460e, loof,

I Fig. 10 are employed to operate four yarn changing yarn guides F1, F2, F3, Ft, pivoted on the latch ring, v'and presently to be described. Bar 460g is employed in connection with a-yarn cutter 608 and clamp 606 cooperating with the yarn guides, and presently to be described.

Bar 460i, although guided in the comb 451, is spaced. apart from the other bars and extends upward outside of the shelf or table D to the overhead yarn take-up and tension devices E2 presently to be described.

As shown and described in my said application (Letters Patent No. 1,152,850) the length of the stitch may be changed at all of the needles by moving cylinder 260 vertically to adjust the knocking-over plane determined by the web-holders 292. e

For sharply changing the length of stitch between two or more adjacent segments of the tube of fabric, devices well adapted to coperate with means to be described below .t for feeding an additional yarn to the same segment of needles, or in a predetermined relation to the said segment of needles are disclosed in my said parent application and claimed in my Letters Patent No. 1,189,220 granted J une 27, 1916, on a divisional appli cation. Said devices include means to change the relation of those needles desired to knit the lengthened wales to their cooperating abutments or knocking-over instruments at the time when the needles are acting to draw their stitches, and devices to ing together to draw the stitch, thus to de- 139 termine a relation of said instruments to each other in one segment sharply and adjustably different from the relation to each -other of instruments of the adjoining segment. VO ne construction for this purpose comprises a segment of web-holders having operating butts longer than the others.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 13, 14, 16, 17

and 19 in order to coperate with the splicl splicing yarn is fed at this segment is, however, indcpendent of the needle butts and changeable Aat will and to illustrate this I have shown in Fig. l19 a segment of high butt web-holders 298 placed to overlap the long butt needles'by three at one side and two at the other side.

The construction and operation of the stitch-slackening` devices is fully described and shown in my said Patent No. 1,189,220 which may be consulted therefor.

Bar 460% Figs. 1 and 14, extends upwardly close to the necessary positionA of the stitch-slackening cam 312, said bar 460a bearing for adjustment by means of screws 471 a cam arm 470 which extends to a point near the periphery of the web-holder cam ring 300, and in such a position that a short lifting movementof the thrust bar 460a will bring the cam portion 471 of the cam arm 470 in contact with the face 317 of the cam 312, to hold said cam in a predetermined and adjustable inward position to determine the extent of slack in the loops drawn at the stitch point` by the variation of the time of entry of the web-holders to their inward position. The cam drum 120 is provided with a cam having a lsurface 500EL to elevate said bar at the desired times to A the extent necessary.

It will be seenthat the fabric maybe locally slackened throughout the segment occupied by the web-holders 298 at` any time in the operation, by the provision of a'caml 500a on the surface of the drum 120 forop eration at this time. 1n fabrics, for lnstance -in which it is or is not desired to employl changing yarns to slacken-the fabric in the course, or in the courses preceding and following coursesk occupied by overlapped yarns at the point of exchange.

The mechanism for changing, cutting rasante and clamping the yam-As above referred to, the independently movable yarn guides F are mounted in a closely adjacent series to swing on the stud 554 in the integral yoke above the slotted latch ring 550, and the present machine is Provided with five such yarn guides F. Referring now to Figs. 1, 7 and 8 said yarn guides are metal bars, preferably of hardened steel, and are curved in form as shown in said figures, so that when in a lower position, which is the position in which they are operative `to feed yarn to the needles, their feet F will rest upon the throat-plate 5,59, `which forms the Y closure at the bottom of the slot between'the arms 553 of the latch ring.` In this position the heads of theyarn guides are just outside of the periphery of the needles, and yarns carried in bores F7 in the noses of the yarn guidesmay reeve from the corners of the throat 560, to be taken by such needles as are traveling in the groove between the cams 8 and 9. One 'or more of the yarn' guides, F4 and F5' for instance, may be provided with two yarns so that when either yarn guide is in its operative position plated fabric will be formed by knitting one of said yarns persistently toward the face of the fabric, both yarns being taken by the needle hooks, or I may provide yarns in an hooked at the other end into a hole in a ange of the plateF9 encircling the latch ring pivot 552. The yarn guides' are inoperative when rotated on stud 554 to carry their inner ends above and within the heads of the needles.

Under the influence of said springFs said y yarn guides tend to assume their operative upper rounded noses of the respective thrust bars 460, which engage directly with the arched undersides ofsaid bars F. The yarn guides are therefore each put into and out of operation by simple thrusting movements of a thrust bar against the pull of a spring F8. It is obvious that as many of the yarn guidesmay remain in action, and they may be removed from action and put back into action, in such order and at such times as may be desired, all as determined by the cams 501, 502, 503, 504 and 505 upon cam drum 120, Fig. 21.

v'llhe operative engagement of said bars 460 with the yarn guides which they move is an engagement of contact only. The

-position except as they are prevented by the incanta parts necessarily carried by the latch "ring,

that is to say the individual yarn guide leward on stud 552and returned to adjusted inspection of Fig. 2.

lt will also be apparent that the actuation of all the parts carried by the latch ring has, by the device of the thrust bars 460, been concentrated at the neighborhood.

of the standard 401 upon which the latch ring is hinged, and that this position of the parts insures a minimum edect upon the adjustments due to wear and the necessary slight variation in the operative position of the latch ring with respect to its fastening means at standard 400, as well as providing the shortest possible distance *between the operative yarn z levers and the pattern cam for their actuation. Thethrust bars 4:60 may be manufactured to rigidly standardized dimensions, and the assembly of the parts by the described construction is much facilitated. The deviceof the bars 4:60 also enables the operator of the machine merely to remove the bar .460 nf a yarn guide desired not to operate, with the utmost con-f venience. Y

practicable to provide a hosiery knitting machine with splicing yarn devices and as' many as four additional yarn feeding yarn guides, but ll find that the improved devices above described for actuating the yarn guides enable the additional number to be included without'unduly widening the space occupied by the yarn guide mechanism with respect tothe cam and needle cylinders or increasing to an excessive extent the length of the pattern surface. Said. four yarn guides may be employed for color changes, or for changes inthe weight or texture of the yarn, as for instance to knit a stocking having a silk boot extending half way up the leg,. and a cotton top, and several courses of cotton preceding the toe seam. One use of the fourth yarn guide is to exchange the light yarn'in a thin stocking during circular knitting and before the narrowing and widening operation for the toe for a heavy yarn corresponding to that. customarily used at the toe. This change may be accompanied by a change in the length of all of the loops by an upward movement of the column 280. llhe resulting stoclng presents fabric of like texture on the two sides of the closure of the toe seam, tothe reduction of the expense and diiiiculty of accurate looping. The idle and operative positions of each of the yarn guides with respect to the times of operation of each other and of the automatic operawill be determined .by the relative position of the cams for controlling that yarn guide. Said cams are fastened at the surface of the vdrum 120 at the requisite position in any suitable manner, as by the screws 20, and l have illustrated in diagram and inA profile,.

forl clearness, in Fig. 21, one typical arrangement' of such cams. Assuming a womans stocking as the desired product, and the line of thrust bars to rest at the line m-, all of the yarn guides thenbeing in an elevated position, movement of the drum will iirst result in causingthe gap g in cam 502 to pass under one thrust bar, 460c for instance, to permit yarn guide F to become operative. yarn suitable for the top of the leg. A subsequent movement of the drum will cause the bar 460C to ride up on cam 502, elevating the guide Ff, immediately after bringing the gap. Z in cam 505 in line with thrust bar 4602 controlling yarn guide F4, to cause the yarn or yarns of guide FJ1 to go into work. This yarn may, for instance, be'a silk yarn, and the end of this part of cam. 505 and the beginning of cam 502 may be timed to reach their respective thrust bars at any desired point below the top of the stocking. Yarn guide Fl may be threaded with two yarns, one in each yarn hole f', both of which will be fed'to the needles, in

v This yarn guide may carry af a relation to cause plating. Whenone yarn is exchanged for another the guideV for the incoming yarn will be rendered operative before the outgoing yarn is removed, as usual in the art, and by means presently to be described the lfree end of the 'outgoing yarn may be clamped and cut immediately after its removal.

As illustrated in Fig. 2l, the yarn of les guide F4 may be kept in work until the heel is to be made, when the gap it in cam 503 permits a heavier yarn carried in yarn guide F2 to be substituted for it during the recip-y rocatory movement yarn guide F4' being removed by cam 505". At the end of the heel, gap f at the end of cam 505a permits the leg yarn to goin work for the foot, before the completion of which gap t in cam 50a' permits a heavier yarn carried by guide /F3 to be additionally fed, to reinforce the tubular foot in the neighborhood of the toe. Or

the yarn guide F4 may be withdrawn at this time, by suitably replacing cam 5053. Y'Vhen the toe is reached, yarn guide Fz is substituted for both guides F3 and F4, in the instance shown, and after completion ofthe toe, the drum having completed one revolution, yarn guide F2 is elevated without depressing any of the others. I

Sectional splicingf-One yarn guide F, which may be any one, such as that one at the left of the series, F", is utilized to knit the sectional splicing of the stocking, as for tion of all the other parts of the machine a high-splice at the back of the heel, or a 13a ther removed from the pivot 554 for the yarn guides than are the rounded upper ends of the vremaining thrust bars; and with a recess s2, which when said bar 460b is lowered is o posite the rear member of the comb 462. lllovement of the bar 460b toward the rear of the machine through a small arc is thus permitted when said bar is in its lowermost position, whichy is that ilvce lustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Upon said bar 460", at a point near the comb 451, I provide an adjustable stop lug c4 in a position to encounter the upper face of said comb 451 when said bar 460'J is not elevated. This structure provides atl the comb 451 a pivot point upon which the bar 460b ma swing through the limited arc allowed by the recess s2, whenever the cams 501 on the drum 120 permit said bar. to drop to its lower position.

In Figs. 9 and 10- I have illustrated a modilication of the adjustment device comprising a round disk 448 fastened on the face of bar 460b by a'l screw 449, in an eccentricv hole in the disk, access to thesorew being provided by a hole 447 in bar 4603. A delicate adjustment of the lower position of the bar 460b can be made by releasing the screw 449, turning the disk 448 by hand, and resetting the screw.

Cooperating with the nose si of said bar I provide upon the yarn guide Fx a ca lug s".

On the flange of the web-holder dial 295 (see Figs. 3 and 5) and thus rotating with the needle-cylinder and needles and main` taining a constant angular relation to they web-holders, I provide an attached cam 296 having `adjustable end faces 296avand 196". As will be seen by reference to Figs. 2 and 3, when the bar 460b has been permitted to drop, its lug s will be in the path swept by the cam 296. The end faces 2968*, 296b may be adjusted or replaced by others to vary the peripheral segment desired to be sectionally spliced. This segment may be more or less than a diametrical half of the tube.

The operation of the splicing yarn' guide Fx will be apparent. Upon the passage from under the bottom end of the bar 460". of one of the cams 501, the yarn guide Fx which before has been held in an elevated idle position by the upward thrust of the said bar, will be permitted to drop until its feet rest upon the plate 559, thus placing its yarn in action at the needles; but `upon the passage meente of the cam 296, the bar 460b will be rocked upon the stop s4', now resting upon the lower comb 451, 'pas a center, permitting the nose er"4 in cooperation with the lug 85 to throw the splicing yarn guide sharpl to its idle position at a predetermined nee le, and uponl the end of the cam 296 running oli' the lug s', thespring F8 will restore the splicing yarn guide to operation at another predetermine'd needle.

, v The cam '296 1s ,a dlrect attachment of the,

web-holder bed, so that its length may correspond to the series oflong butt web-holders 298 in order to enable the spliced loops, and only these loops, to be locally elongated by the above described devices cooperating with said long butt web-holders. I am thus enabled to associate the local variation in the length of stitch with the area spliced, with the most rigid accuracy.

In one form of my devices as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 6 the yarn feeding end of the splicing-yarn guide Fx is dilferent from its fellows in thatV it is provided with a laterally offset overhanging projection sl to straddle the line of the needles, having a downward opening VLShaped notch .98 on the underside of its extreme point. The purpose of this device is to cooperate with the end of the splicing yarn held inv an internal guide presently to be'mentioned, to present a short guided run of yarn extending from the bore s to said notch, the notch taking over the run of splicing-yarn between the internal fixedY guide 604, Figs. 2 and 8, and the needles Whenever the splicing yarnguide FX is lowered.

The withdrawn and floated end of thel splicing-yarn passing by the rotation of the needles under the guide 604, Figs. 2 and 8, may otherwise be presented at an unfavorable angle for entrance between pairs of the needles when the splicing yarn-guide is dropped, and one valuable function of the notch ss is to position a yarn which has been vmoved out of correct position by the travel of the needles backward to a more favorable angle for entrance between the needles, the yarn when encountered by the notch ssbeing moved to the position with respect 'to the yarn kguide defined by the apex of the notch' and the bore in the guide.

The said form of yarn lever or guide yis especially usefulwhen thersplicing yarn is, very smooth and very pliable, or lwhen the conditions of the use of the machine tend to slackened yarns.

For usual yarns, underlordinary conditions of use, accurate entrance and exist of the splicing arn at the desired pairs of needles may be secured by use of a yarn guide F", as shown in Fig. 11, which mayY be like the Aother yarn guides except that it' is provided with a lug S5.

It will 'benoticed that I have shown in asserita the splicing`yarn through the segment measured by the high butt web-holders and the cam 2,96 at such times astel high s lice the rear of thelmit tube from .a point a ve the heel, and the sole from thevend of the heel to a point corresponding to the introduc-4 tion of the arn'f guide F3 to reinforce the entire, tu e of fabric near the toe. But

yit will be apparent that my devices are readily changeable by moving cams 501, or substituting others for them, to place thev splicing at any desired point. y y l The yam clamp and cutter.-Coperating with the yarn-feeding devices above described I. employ an internal yarn guide, clamp and cutter, which 'except in detail may be substantially the same'as that shown, y -described and claimed in the application of f -Harry Swinglehurst, filed October 5, 1911, ,Serial No. 653,001, and therefore vforms no part of my present invention except in so far as 1 provide different means to actuate said device and to coperate with the device for sectional splicing. 4

-Said device comprises briedy in overhanging arm 601 Figs. 8 and 12 attached to the latch guard ring, and thence extending inwardly and downwardly to join a vbase plate 602, the edges and bottom respectively of which provide guide surfaces for the fabric and forv heating yarns connecting angulariy spacedl wales of 'said fabric. 4

The upper side of the said plate 602 is pro-` vided with a fixed guide upwardly curved at 604 to receive and guide between it and the face of plate 602 ayarn thrown out of work by the elevation of its yarn guide. v Y

A yarn clamp lever'606 ispivoted at 607 on an upstanding central lug 605 on the upper face of the plate 602. One end of said lever is perforated to take over a pin 612 on a vertically movable slide 608 carrying at its lower end a movable shear blade 613, which blade-is rounded at the bottom and sharpened on its top edge and projects toward the left of Fig. 12'. Slide 608 is pressed upwardly by aspring plunger -in a bore in the body of the lug 605, which lug also presents a vertical channel to guide slide 608.

Fig. 18 shows an alternative construction in which the clamp lever 606 takes under pin 612, against the underside of which it is pressed by spring 62 housed in a bore in'plate 602, in order to avoid limiting the closing movement of the cutter by Athe extent of movement permitted. for the clamp, closure of which is effected by spring 62 whenever the cutter closes.

Said lug 605 is also provided with an integral guiding extension 616, which stands above the plane of theplate 602, and slightly inward ofthe vertical plane of the shear blade 613.V Near the juncture of said extension with the body of the lug 605 and atene Side of and above a downward bender de-` pression of the under surface of late 602 a fixed or ledger blade 614 is provi ed to coand the extension 616 form an opening 617 f leading to the open shear blades 613, 614, in

one position of said shears, and leading b'eneath the lower rounded edge of the blade 614 whenvsaicd blade is in its upper closed position. fir-smoothed lug 61 may be provided on the under face of plate 602 to aid inl guiding the forming fabric under plate 602.

\` The float yarns from the splicing yarn guide F* do not enter the cutter 613, 61.4, which is notv actuated upon each movement of the splicing yarn guide, but with its associated clamp 606, is permitted `to remain closed during actuation of said .guide F". When thel guide FX is elevated and passes inwardly over the-needles, its yarn extends from the last needle which took it, by reason ofthe rotation ofthe machine, under the fixed guide 604, and above the plateA 602. The end of the closedclamp lever 606 is squared 0H to provide a stop for said yarn, whichupon further rotation is taken under the extension 616 of the lug 605, and through the opening 617 leading to the underface of the plate 602, passing under the closed shear blade 613. The yarn at the time of its next insertionfthus extends from the back of the fabric at the front of the machine, under the shears and the extension 616, through the opening 617 and under the guide 604 at a point opposite the end of lever 606, in line with the laterally offset position of the notch 88,which takes' over it just before said guide F* reaches the needles on itsv downward stroke.

Pivoted on an upstanding lug 610 formed on one of the arms 553 of the latch ring 550 an operating lever 611, loosely pivoted to said slide 608atone end and extending at the otherend over the rounded upper nose of the thrust bar 460g is provided.

Said thrust bar coperates with the cams v 506 on the drum 120` at its lower end (Fig.

21.) It will be noticed that a cam 506 is provided to lift the thrust v bar 406g and therefore toopen the shear cutter and open the yarn clamp, at each change of the position of any of the yarn guides F', F2, F8, F4, and thatI may provide one cam 506a to actuate the cutter after Vthe completion of the toe and after the yarn guide F2, supplying the yarn to knit the toe, ha-s been thrown out of action by the cam 503 to press olf and eject the stocking by the operation of the knitting needles after removing the yarn from them. Such movement of the yarn guide F2 and-of the cutter 613, 614 may be the last step-,in the cycle of operations resulting in a complete stocking.

The yam supporting guide and yarn taleellt@ upf-Mounted in the integral boss c of the machine frame, a stout standard E carries an overhead guide for the yarn of any usual form, which may be provlded with tension and yarn-oiling devices of any suitable construction. Said standard also supports an actuated yarn take-u or tensiomdevlce E2, not herein claimed, or control ci the yarn or yarns employed for knitting when. the machine is reciprocating. Control of this device is related to the time of the movement of the yarn-feeding devices by causing its actuation through thrust-bar 460t and cams on said drum 120l Yarns from the yyarn guiding top and from the take-up and tension device E2 are led to the yarn guide levers F through holes in a plate 600 screwed on the part 555 of the latch guard ring.

The operation of my yarn feeding device as a whole will now be a parent, and it will be obvious that my device provides means for readily exchanging the yarn or yarns for others at predetermined times, for splicing all, or a segment only, of the fabric, and for holding and guiding in an eicient manner the yarns in and out of work, as well as for cutting oii" and holding the cut end of a retired yarn or yarns. It will also be apparent that the times of actuation of the parts for these purposes are, by means of the drum' 120, associated with accuracy with )the times of action of the remaining automatic agencies of said machine, whether the indications determining the times of action of said agencies are carried upon said drum, or upon the parts related to the pattern shaft 80.

It will be apparent that the yarn-feeding and severing mechanism herein disclosed is suitable for coperation with knitting devices of many diierent types, as well as for an element of the combination disclosed in my said parent application, and disclosed and claimed in my continuing application Serial Number 766,401, led May 8, 1913, (Letters Patent No. 1,148,055, July 27, 1915,) wherein said feeding and severing devices are cordinatd and combined with knitting devices for knitting a succession ofl articles, to enable said feeding devices to withdraw "i `all of the knitting yarns and sever the last-l used yarn or yarns, if desired, at the end of each article knit, and to introduce the same or another yarn for the beginning of another article, which combination I do not herein claim. i

What I claim is 1. A knitting machine having in combinal tion needles, a series of independently movable yarn guides, means -to operatively position said guides to feed yarn to said needles at one end of their range of movement, a series of longitudinally movable thrust bars each for direct contactwith one of said yarn guides, a pattern surface, and cams on said mesma surface to move each of said bars at prede,- termined times into contact with and to move its yarn guide to an inoperative position in opposition to said means.

2. A knittin machine having in combination a series o closely adjacent yarn guides, a cam-surface having thereon pattern cams spaced to a greater extent than said yarn guides, and a series of movable bars contacting with said yarn guides and said pattern cams whereby each of said pattern cams at predetermined times causes its yarn guide to move to an inoperative position.

3. A lmittin machine having in combination a series o devices including closely ad' jacent yarn guides for changing the character of the knitting, a cam-surface having thereon pattern cams spaced to a greater extent than said yarn guides, and a series of movable bars contacting with said yarn carrier and needles, a series of closely ad jacent independently movable yarn-feed guides, a series of flat detached thrust-bars, one for each of said yarn-guides, ways supporting said thrust-bars for free movement in the direction of their length, and a pattern-surface adapted directly to act upon and move the bars severally in their ways and thereby severally to move their yrespective yarnides.

5. In a itting machine a pivoted latch ring, a yarn severing mechanism carried by said latch ring, an actuating lever for said yarn severing mechanism, yarn guide levers working ina gap in said latch ring, means to close said gap, an actuating lever for said gap closing means, means to support each of said levers in a position transversey to a plane parallel to and near the latch ring pivot, a pattern surface, and a series of like connections for operation by said surface terminating in said plane to actuate said levers, whereby the latch ring and its at-l tachments may be swung about its pivot and returned to contact with said connections without disturbing the adjusted position of the parts.

6. In a yarn feeding mechanism for knitting machines, the combination with a mov Aable yarn-guide of a sliding thrust-bar for move against the concave side of said guide in a plane passing between said pivot and said varn feeding end.

8. 1n a knitting machine, a yarn guide, an instrument having freedom of movement in two dimensions in contact with said yarn guide, means to move said instrument in one direction at predetermined times to permit said guide to become operative, and means for moving said instrument in another direction to render said yarn guide alternately operative and inoperative.

t). In a knitting machine, a yarn guide, a thrust bar, and a pattern cam for moving the thrust bar to shift the yarn guide at predetermined times to an operative or to an inoperative position, in i combination with means independent of the pattern cam cooperating with the thrust bar to cause the yarn guide to become operative and inoperative at short intervals.

10. In a knitting machine, a rotary needle cylinder and needles therein, a yarn guide, a longitudinally movable instrument and a. pattern cam for moving said instrument longitudnally against the yarn guide at predetermined times to shifti said yarn guide to an operative vor to an inoperative position, in combination With a cam rotating in time with said needle cylinder to contact with said instrument and move it laterally to cause the yarn guide to become operative and inoperative during one revolution of said cylinder. l

11. In a knitting machine, a pivoted yarn guide, a cam surface on said yarn guide, an instrument having freedom of movement in two dimensions in contact With said yarn guide, means to bodily move said instrument at predetermined times to permit said guide to become operatve and means to rock said instrument through an arc to coperate with said cam surface to render said guide operative or inoperative.

12. In a knitting machine, a pivoted yarn guide, a cam surface on said yarn guide, a bar having freedom of movement in tWo dimensions directly in contact at one end with said yarn guide, means to bodily move said bar at predetermined times to permit said guide to become operative, a rotating cam, and a lug on said bar in the path of said cam when said bar is in one longitudinal position, to rock said bar through an are to coperate with said cam surface to render said guide operative or inoperative.

13. In a knitting machine, the combination of a pivoted yarn guide, a spring for moving said yarn guide into its operative position to feed yarn, a longitudinally movable bar taking against the underside of said yarn guide, combs to guide said bar in lcontact With the under side of said yarn guide, a stop on said bar to limit its movement with respect to one of said combs, a pattern cam surface, means to advance said pattern cam surface at predetermined times, to move said bar, a recess in said bar at the other comb, and a lug on said bar for cooperation with a cam rotating With a rotary element of said machine, when said bar is in the position determined by said stoplug. v

14. In a knitting machine, a latch ring having a gap therein for the operation of a plurality of yarn guides, a member movable on the latch ring to close said gap, a series of independently movable thrust bars for operating the yarn guides, means including al movable thrust bar for operating the gap closing means, and a pattern surface for moving each of said thrust bars in a predetermined order.

15. In a knitting machine, a pivoted latch ring having a gap therein for the operation of a plurality of yarn guides, a member movable on the latch ring to close said gap, a series of independently movable thrust bars terminating at one end near the pivoted part of said latch ring, each for operating a yarn guide, a similar bar in the said position, and means coperating with said similar bar for operatin the gap-closing means, in combination With a pattern surface for moving said thrust bars at predetermined times. p

16. In a knitting machine, a movable latch ring having a gap therein, a plurality of yarn feed guides supported by said latch ring and movable through said gap, a device comprising a ring having a gap therein rotatable on said latch ring, in combination With a support for said latch ring, a lever mounted on said support, a connection from said lever to said rotatable ring, and a plurality of endvvise movable bars having operative parts each in free contact With one of said yarn guides and said lever respectively, in one posltion of said latch ring.

17. The combination in a knitting machine of a latch guard ring having a gap therein for the operation of a plurality of yarn guides, a support on which said latch guard ring is pivoted, a member operating independently of said yarn guides, and automatic means for moving said member to tical arm, a link connecting said arm to said annulus, a spring for moving said bell crank leverl in one direction and a thrust bar. having an adjustable attachment for moving said bell crank lever in the other direction.

19. A circular knitting machine having needles and an internal guide for a -splicing yarn thrown out of f operation above the needles, a movable yarn guide Jfor inserting and withdrawing a splicing yarn, in oombination with means carried by said splicing v yarn guide for positioning the. splicing yarn between said needles and internal guide. 20. A yarn guide device for knitting ma- Leeaoee ehines comprising a4 movable yarn guide having a part adapted to extend over and within the needles, said extension terminating in a notch opening downwardly, whereby to take over and lposition a nun of yarn 'at the back of the needles.

l ROBERT w. soo'r'r l Witnesses: v r A M. G. CRozmR, 

